Dark Woods Circus
by Narwhals06
Summary: A circus, deep in the woods. Come meet it's freakish inhabitants.
1. Chapter 1

**AN: I apologize so, so much! I went on a very unexpected hiatus, but I'm back now. This is a Dark Woods Circus I have published on my dA as well. If you'd like to look at my deviantART, my username would be ChubbyNarwhal. ;D**

**"Do you like circuses?"**

The little girl paused, looking around to see where the voice came from. As she layed eyes on the figure, she nearly screamed.

There were two people, standing very close, so it seemed. Upon further inspection, the little girl could see they were sewn together. A boy and a girl, both blonde with wide blue eyes. An array of colorful tattoos covered their faces, and a grin was spread ear-to-ear on the girl's face. The boy, however, kept his sorrowful gaze low, a half-smile weakly attempted on his lips.

"Do you like circuses?" The girl asked again.

The little girl's interest peaked, overcoming her fear. "Circuses? Where is it?" She looked around expecting to see the tip of a tent showing over the horizon.

"Come with us." The boy and the girl said in unison, holding out their hands. The little girl took the hand of the boy, feeling more comfortable with him than his maniacally happy sister.

A hint of a true smile appeared on the boy's face, but before the little girl could read his expression, they whisked her away, down a seemingly well-worn path in the woods that disappeared behind them.

As lanterns began to shine through the trees, the twins let go of her hand and vanished. The little girl pushed through the undergrowth until she came upon a huge tent. She sat there in awe, and thought nothing else could shock her until they emerged from the tallest of the trees.

Two people, at least ten meters tall, dressed in finery. They were both female, but the one with white hair wore a form-fitting suit instead of the dress her blonde companion twirled in. With careful, arranged steps, they took on a waltz, circling the tent.

"Go in!" The boy twin's voice called from the shadows. "Enter the tent!" He urged her on, his voice excited now.

The little girl tore her eyes away from the giants, and began a skipping run into the tent.

Inside was lit up every color of the rainbow, maybe more. She took her seat in the first row, eagerly grasping the edge of her red jacket. Finally the lights dimmed, and a single spotlight glowed in the center of the stage. From a cloud of black smoke, the ringmaster appeared. He was deathly pale, his hair brunette and a pair of glasses rested on the bridge of his nose.

As another light joined the first, the little girl could see he was a statue. Made of chalk.

"Tonight, we'll be showing

The sad fate that some of this world carry.

Children that God has abandoned, restlessly creeping out.

Children who can't even carry the trembling limbs they were born with.

Their shaking tongues even accidentally cry out.

The crowns of their head that caress the dark clouds.

They smile as they dream of their mother's embrace. Ooh, the deformity!"

Deformity? The little girl pressed into the back of her seat, suddenly fearful of what was to come. A small smile lit up her face, however, erasing her fear, as the twins leaped onto the stage. The boy locked eyes with her, smiling just like his sister, but not fakely.

"One with two heads!" The chairman yelled out. The twins jumped around, performing acrobatics gracefully with their mangled body. The little girl grinned and clapped, laughing loudly.

Suddenly, the twins disappeared, and a beautiful singing filled the tent. It was loud and sorrowful, and brought tears to the little girl's eyes as the voice sang of her deformity, her sadness. The little girl caught sight of the twins at the side of the stage closest to her. The girl still grinned, but the boy's head was bent, shaking as he sobbed and sang along quietly.

His voice is beautiful too, the little girl thought. She leaned forward to rest a hand on his shoulder, too comfort him somehow. She had just brushed his ponytail with her fingers when a pair of hands sprung from a trapdoor and grabbed her. The twins turned, the girl wearing the same expression, the boy's face filled with regret. He continued to sing, yet managed to mouth 'I'm sorry.'


	2. Chapter 2

Meiko awoke to the feel of cold metal on her face. Her head snapped up, hitting the top of her...cage? Her eyes whipped around, inspecting her surroundings. Her heart began to beat faster as she saw that she was in a cage, in a dirty room.

"No, no, no, don't panic!" As Meiko opened her mouth to scream, a voice hurriedly hushed her. She looked in the direction of the voice to see a young boy, a year or two older than her. "Please don't panic." He smiled weakly, his four eyes blinking in unison.

Meiko let out a squeal, slamming back in her small cage. The boy looked worried, stumbling for words when another voice said, "Don't panic, he said. If you don't, he can let you out." The voice was deep, bitter and angry.

"Don't be so rude, Kaito. I'd be afraid of you, too." A young man kneeled in front of her cage, beside the boy. "I'm Gakupo. You can trust me. You can trust all of us. Kaito's just bitter and mad all the time." He stretched his hand inside her cage, smiling sweetly.

Meiko reached her small hand, hesitantly, out to his, her fear slowly disappearing. "Good," Gakupo said, his voice barely above a whisper. "Piko, unlock the cage." He pulled his hand back as the boy grabbed a key from his pocket and stuck it in the lock. It clicked, and the door swung open.

"Are...are there others...like you?" Meiko asked quietly.

"Yes. There's Piko, Kaito, Miku, Rin and Len, Kiyoteru and Luka. And me, of course, but I'm not as...unique." Gakupo frowned slightly. "Not on the outside." His voice got faint, his eyes staring at a place on the wall.

"The rest of us can be a little...shocking to look at." A kind voice joined in, and Meiko looked up to see a pink-haired fish girl gazing at her through a giant aquarium. "But we are kind, really, and we'll take care of you."

"The only one you have to watch out for is Rin." The man named Kaito growled, deep in his cage. "She's insane. She'll get you, if they want you. The rest of us'll protect you, especially Len, but Rin...she'd stab you in the back as soon as give you a compliment."

"Kaito! Don't scare her!" The fish-girl reprimanded. She turned back to Meiko, a smile on her red lips. "I'm Luka. We'll make it nice for you here, okay, honey?"

"And I'll be your best friend! And you, Len and I can play and come up with stories!" Piko grinned, clapping his hands together.

Meiko smiled a little. "Is Len the blonde boy? The one with the sister?"

"Mmhmm! We're best friends, he and I, even though his sister scares me a little, you know, and we-"

"Okay, Piko, okay," Gakupo clamped his hand over Piko's mouth.

Meiko giggled, crawling out of her cage. She stood slowly, wiping the dust off of her red coat. "I can't wait to talk to Len! I think I'll have lots of fun here!"

"It's lots of fun here." Kaito's voice took on an even colder tone. "Especially when _ they _get you. Then, they display you to the crowds, and they laugh at you! It's so much fun when you see that they have turned you into a monster! When you see how they've deformed you, it's fun!"


	3. Chapter 3

**AN: So, when uploading from dA, I accidentally skipped a chapter...If you want to see it, my deviantART is ChubbyNarwhal. It's just introducing the characters, really. :3**

"She seems so familiar, Len...I don't know why. Just protect her, please? Burn this before Rin sees it. she'll tell them."

Len held the paper tightly in his hands, tears flooding down his face. How could he protect the little girl? They would find out something to do with her eventually.

"Troubles, Len-chan?" Len looked up to see one of the newer additions to the circus. Gumi's hair was short and green, tousled where panda ears were painfully sewn into her scalp. The black tattoos around her eyes always made her look tired, even though she was wide awake.

"No, nothing, Gumi. Burn this for me, when you get the chance." He passed her the letter. He trusted her, everyone here, really, except for his own sister. She had been twisted to far. She was so afraid of being deformed more that she would do anything to please them.

"Of course. Miku refuses to talk, still?" She said, reading over the letter.

"Only singing. She refuses to meet the girl. But...she feels connected to her somehow. So now I must protect her even more." Len wiped his eyes off on his sleeve, trembling with every breath. Rin's heavy weight against him as she slept made him remember the days when they would do this willingly. Sit in a shady area and fall asleep, leaning against each other. Now they had no choice.

"I don't know how you handle this, Len-chan." Gumi said pitifully. The boy's eyes contained so much sorrow, at only fourteen, and it broke her heart. "You remain so strong, and I-"

"Only on the outside." He interrupted. "Gumi...I don't know how much longer I can handle this. I'm barely holding myself together, and every morning I pray that I awaken and this was all a dream. But it's not, and I hate that, and I hate them, and I hate having to perform in front of a crowd who laughs at me!"

"Len..." Gumi was at a loss of words. The boy had given up on cleaning his face, and now there were tears running down them freely.

"I'm so deformed and terrible to look at! I scare and amuse, those people who...who pay to see this... and I hate it all!" Len's voice was hoarse as he tried to stay quiet as to not awaken Rin.

He finally stopped shaking, his eyes pressed tightly closed. "Show this to Kaito before you burn it, please. But never let that little girl read it. Okay, Gumi? Please leave now. Please."

Gumi momentarily rested her hand on his shoulder before she got up, barely holding back her own tears. She left the twins' seperate room and entered the main room, where Kaito's large cage was tucked into a corner. She reached her arm carefully inside, letting the letter slip into the pale hands she knew were waiting.

She pulled a box of matches out of her hoodie pocket and lit one, letting its light wash over the frail, ivory-white face of the blue-blooded beast. His face was thin and angular, his eyes blue and rimmed with red. His hair was matted, yet still gleamed a night sky blue.

With a pianist's fingers, he delicately held the letter. Without a word he carefully took the match from Gumi and held it to the paper. It caught fire, and he held it close to him until it burned to nothing.

Gumi whispered, "Thank you," giving him a weak smile. He simply looked up at her. It was the first time they had let him out of his straitjacket, and he was afraid to interact with people in case he lost it.

Finally he spoke, after keeping her gaze for a few minutes. "You tell Len he is not alone. Even if I am bound and tied, or if he loses it all, i'll always be there to at least...attempt to help."

Gumi's lower lip trembled as she said softly, "Of course, Kaito. Are...are you doing okay?" She tried to reach inside the cage.

He leaped back, eyes squeezed shut, breathing heavily. "Don't," He said, voice cracking. "I don't want to lose it. I don't know what will happen if you touch me."

"I'm sorry." Gumi withdrew her hand, and Kaito sat in a ball in the corner of his cage. "I'll tell Len next chance I get." She began to walk away, drawing her hood up over her head, the last sound she heard being the soft crying of a young man who had lost everything.


	4. Chapter 4

Meiko awoke to Piko gently nudging her shoulder. "Whaa-It's early, Piko...why are you waking me up?" She yawned, stretching her arms out. "I'm tired."

"It's time to perform," He said, his voice not as upbeat as normal. He looked as if he were hiding something, the way he was squirming in front of her.

"Perform?" Realization dawned on her. She had almost forgotten about the fact she was at the Circus, focusing only on her new friends. "But, I don't, do I? There's nothing...different about me, right?"

"You introduce us now." A trembling voice said. Meiko turned to see Kaito, towering over her. His hands clenched the fabric of his loose canvas pants, nervously picking at threads. His shirt was white and thin, revealing his fragile-looking frame.

Meiko leaped back. Had he escaped? What was going on? What if he lost it, like the day Piko cut his arm.

"They...they took the straitjacket off of me." He frowned. "Erm, obviously. I...I'm going to try my best to stay calm, okay? Don't be afraid of me." He ran his thin fingers through his dark blue hair, his eyes doubtful.

Meiko looked up at him for a minute or two, seeing the uncertainty and fear deep in his eyes, the eyes she had only seen angry. Suddenly she moved forward, wrapping her arms around his hips and smiling lightly. "I won't be afraid of you. We can help each other, can't we?"

Kaito's spine was as straight as it could be, his arms slightly lifted at his sides. He was frozen, looking back from Meiko to Piko with a panicked expression. Finally, hesitantly, he put one hand around her neck and one on the top of her head.

Meiko giggled, causing a small smile to break out on his face. "Y-yes...of course, Meiko. I think I can trust you."

Piko blinked, head tilting. "Do I get a hug too?"

Kaito looked away, loosing his smile. "A little at a time, Piko. I can't be better all at once."

Piko's shoulders slumped, disappointed, but he turned to Meiko and said, "It's time, I think. Do you hear the music? You'll be introducing us all. But first, you get to meet the Ringmaster!"

Meiko let go of Kaito, still clutching one of his hands, to see the Ringmaster enter through the doorway to the main tent. He was deathly pale, his deep brown hair a stark contrast against his skin. He didn't smile as he approached Meiko, but his eyes were kind. It was as if he didn't want to seem cold, but he was forced to.

"I am Kiyoteru Hiyama," He said formally, holding out one hand. Meiko shook it with her free hand, wiping off the chalky dust on her red coat. "You will be our announcer. Introducing the freaks, and such." He gestured to the others.

With a flicker of hesitance, he kneeled down by Meiko's ear. "I'm on your side." He whispered. "Know that, okay?" Quickly he stood again, looking around rapidly. He breathed a sigh of relief when he saw nobody watching.

"Come, Meiko." Kiyoteru said blankly, ignoring what he had just said. "It is time for you to introduce the Twins." He took her hand, pulling her from Kaito and leading her to the big tent.

She looked back at Kaito with a big, silly grin and a wave that made him want to rush out and save her. But he couldn't get close, and he knew that. Because one day, he'd lose it for good.


End file.
